blueberry Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Summer Kale Salad with Peaches and Candied Pecans

July 18, 2016 By Becky 14 Comments

This refreshing summer kale salad is packed with seasonal superfoods and topped with creamy goat cheese and crunchy candied pecans.

Kale salads. How do you feel? I was a little suspicious back in the day, but if I give the kale a good massage and add a lot of different toppings, I can now get pretty excited about them. If you’re not into kale salads yet, let me see if I can sell you: we’re adding juicy peaches and blueberries, creamy goat cheese, and perfectly salty-sweet candied pecans.

CANDIED PECANS! Sorry to shout, but they’re so good, and they’re super easy and quick to make on the stovetop in less than ten minutes. No fuss, no oven. And you may want to make a double batch, because it’s hard to stop snacking on them. I ate a lot of mine before the salad even got dressed!

In other news, I have a serious peach problem. Last summer, we got down to Chattanooga at the end of peach session, right after The Peach Truck had left town. I was so mad I had missed out. All year I waited and checked the schedule. And when they came to East Ridge a little over a week ago, I was there. I bought a 25-pound box of peaches and a one-pound bag of pecans.

Since then, it’s been all peaches all the time. In addition to eating an embarrassing number of them out of hand, juice dripping everywhere, I’ve made a peach dutch baby, peach margaritas (I shared the full recipe on Insta–they’re so good!), peach muffins, and peach ice cream.

Cherry Berry Ice Cream Loaf

July 3, 2016 By Becky 4 Comments

This show-stopping ice cream loaf is easy to put together with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and cherries and store-bought ice cream.

Happy Fourth of July! I realize I’m getting this dessert idea out to you at the very last possible minute, but this is so easy and elegant that I just had to share. Plus, it doesn’t have to be patriotic. You can swap in whatever fruits and whatever flavors your prefer and enjoy this ice cream loaf technique all summer long.

Here I used vanilla bean and lemon ice creams. The lemon ice cream is super refreshing, and plays really well with the fresh summer fruit. The blueberries, strawberries, and cherries were so beautiful that I couldn’t bring myself to cook them as I had originally planned, but using raw fruit makes this ice cream cake taste fresh and almost light, plus it cuts down on the prep time.

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Blueberry Sauce

November 11, 2015 By Becky 6 Comments

This post is sponsored by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council in collaboration with Honest Cooking.

I’m a total berry fanatic, and I especially love blueberries. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I troll the produce section to see if fresh blueberries are on sale, and often end up buying them even when they’re not. I’m a fan of frozen blueberries, too, but until recently, I’d only used them in smoothies and desserts (this blueberry buttermilk ice cream being my all-time favorite).

When the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council asked me to create a savory recipe featuring frozen blueberries, I was almost instantly inspired to create this very dish: a simple roasted rack of lamb with an easy but vibrant sauce made with blueberries and crème fraîche. Blueberries pair really well with tart ingredients like lemon juice, buttermilk, and crème fraîche, and with my recently discovered love of lamb, putting blueberries, crème fraîche, and lamb together seemed like a no-brainer.

Rainbow Salad with Grilled Chicken and Raspberry Walnut Dressing

July 6, 2015 By Becky 16 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Rainbow Salad with Grilled Chicken and Raspberry Walnut Dressing #30MinuteMondays | acalculatedwhisk.com

All the colors of the rainbow are represented in this quick paleo salad with a creamy, dairy-free raspberry walnut dressing.

I’ve been wanting to make a rainbow salad for a while now, but this seemed like an especially opportune moment. Summer produce is everywhere in all its resplendent hues, and more Americans are able to get married than ever before. Let’s celebrate with this salad!

This healthy salad has pretty much all the colors of the rainbow (if you kind of merge indigo and violet together) plus pink. Pink is my favorite color and it’s not really fair that it’s not a part of the official rainbow, so I made sure it was included by making a nice pink dressing. Despite how creamy it looks, the dressing is dairy-free–the creaminess comes from the walnuts and shallots, and the color is thanks to the raspberries. It’s inspired by the creamy shallot dressing from my pan-seared chicken, orange, and walnut salad, but this one’s even better because it’s pink.

Blueberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

May 30, 2015 By Becky 24 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Blueberry Buttermilk Ice Cream | acalculatedwhisk.com @beckywink

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. Last weekend I went to an amazing food photography and styling workshop in Plymouth, MA (more on that here), yesterday I took the comprehensive exams for my master’s program, and somewhere in there I turned 30.

I actually love birthdays (especially mine), and so far I am feeling good about being 30. Ben’s birthday is just a week and a half before mine, so we celebrated with a joint make-your-own ice cream sandwich party. It’s hard to imagine anything more fun than smooshing ice cream between cookies with your closest friends!

This ice cream was not present at the party because it hadn’t occurred to me yet–I was actually inspired to make this because of all the leftover buttermilk I had after making Ben’s birthday cake. (He always wants a gluten cake for his big day, and who am I to deny a birthday boy? It’s the only glutinous baking I do all year. I made him this chocolate cake and it was fabulous. The only change I made was using avocado oil instead of canola. The avocado oil is tasteless and worked great in the cake!)

For the party I made a classic vanilla ice cream in my ice cream maker and Nigella Lawson’s no-churn coffee ice cream. If you don’t have an ice cream maker (or even if you do!) you HAVE to try this no-churn business. I was blown away by the awesome, creamy texture and how easy it was to make. (It is, however, less healthy than what I normally make due to copious amounts of sweetened condensed milk. Worth it for a special occasion, though!)

Blueberry Frangipane Pie Bars

March 27, 2015 By Becky 11 Comments

On the way to work the other day, I heard the Cheers theme song on the radio (“sometimes you want to go where everybooody knows your naaaaame…”) and was overcome by nostalgia. I didn’t watch Cheers as a kid, but I watched the show that was on right before it (Seinfeld, I think), and always left the TV on so I could hear the theme song. Even as a kid, it made me feel nostalgic.

I guess the idea with the Cheers song is that after a tough day, you can go to a bar where everyone knows you. But for me, it always felt like the song was really about going home, or going back to a simpler time. Because, as the song says, “making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got”.

If the modern world has you feeling a bit beaten down, I have a solution for you. Click the link in the first paragraph and listen to the Cheers song over and over while you make yourself a batch of pie bars. They are just the thing if “your third fiancé didn’t show”, “your shrink ran off to Europe and didn’t even write”, or if, like me, you’ve just had kind of a long week.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

August 14, 2013 By Becky 5 Comments

I have been on a quest to make delicious paleo & gluten-free muffins, because I can’t have eggs for breakfast every single day. This is the third time I’ve tried, and I finally have what I want: a moist, sweet muffin with a beautiful domed top that is bursting with blueberries in every bite. Best of all, these muffins taste like the real thing, not a gluten-free imitation.

Blueberry Pancakes with a Secret Ingredient

August 4, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

Okay, I know I’ve been posting a lot of pancake recipes recently. But, I had to make these because I went berry picking yesterday, and all those adorable, sweet blueberries were begging to be made into pancakes. And, I had to share this recipe with you because I snuck in one of my favorite secret ingredients.

It’s green. It’s delicious. Can you guess what it is?

Almond Blueberry Pie Bars (Paleo, Gluten-free)

July 29, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

One of my favorite recipes I’ve blogged about is almond blueberry pie bars. They are amazing: a rich, buttery crust, a smooth, custardy filling studded with juicy berries, and a crumbly topping with crisp sliced almonds. When my mom and I were trying to decide what to make to bring to our cousin’s wedding, these bars came to mind. I wondered if we could make a decent paleo version.

Luckily, the answer is yes! These bars are just as delicious as the original. They’re not exactly the same–this version has a soft buttery crust, whereas the others had a crunchier crust–but you won’t find me complaining. We brought a huge platter of these to the wedding, and they disappeared fast, devoured by gluten free eaters and non-restricted eaters alike. They are even more amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream–I recommend Blue Bell if you can get it.

It was a bit of an adventure baking these bars at my aunt’s apartment, because she does not have a real oven! I was nervous about using her combination (microwave and convection) oven, so I found the manual online and read the instructions carefully. I found that the bars browned VERY quickly, but were still not done in the center, so I covered them with foil for the rest of the baking time. You may or may not have that problem in a regular oven.

This was my first time using coconut flour and maple sugar, and I think they both worked very well in these bars. The coconut flour is very fine and created a nice smooth crust in combination with the almond flour. The maple sugar is granulated, so I didn’t have to worry about adjusting the proportions of ingredients in order to use a liquid sweetener. You won’t taste any more than a very faint tinge of maple flavor, and that’s really only if you’re looking for it. Enjoy!

Ingredients (adapted from Annie’s Eats; makes 36 small but thick bars):

For the crust and topping:

1 and 1/2 cups coconut flour
1 and 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple sugar (granulated)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest of one lemon
18 tablespoons grass-fed cold butter
1 cup sliced almonds, lightly crushed

For the filling:

4 eggs
1 cup grass-fed milk or coconut milk
1 and 3/4 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup coconut flour
Juice of one lemon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9×13 pan with tinfoil and grease it lightly. To make the crust, combine the flours, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a food processor (or by hand in a large bowl). Cut the butter into cubes and pulse until the mixture is uniform. If you’re not using the food processor, it’s easiest to mix the dough with your hands. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the mixture to serve as the topping. Press the rest of it into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 12 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the topping, add the crushed sliced almonds to the reserved dough and mix until combined.

To make the filling, whisk together all ingredients except the blueberries until smooth. Gently stir in the blueberries.

When the crust is baked, let it cool for 10-15 minutes, leaving the oven on. Then, pour the filling over, sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling, and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle is just set. Cool completely before cutting–it helps to put them in the refrigerator to firm up. Slice into squares or rectangles and enjoy!

Almond Pancakes with Blueberry Compote (Paleo, Gluten-free)

July 21, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

Pancakes! The perfect breakfast food. When I spotted a recipe for almond flour pancakes in one of the paleo cookbooks I picked up, I was eager to try it. Surprisingly, these pancakes are a lot like regular pancakes. Since the batter is made in the food processor, it’s nice and smooth without any noticeable chunks of almond. These pancakes also make a hearty and high-protein breakfast since the recipe calls for four eggs. With the blueberry compote and a few sliced almonds on top, you will be in your pancake happy place. I’m starting to think regular flour is totally superfluous!

Ingredients (makes 6 large pancakes; serves 2):

For the blueberry compote:

1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I used frozen)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste
Pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

For the almond pancakes (adapted from Easy Paleo Diet Recipes):

1 and 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs

Butter or coconut oil for cooking
Sliced almonds, for serving

To make the blueberry compote, place all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until some of the blueberries have collapsed and the liquid is syrupy, 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To make the pancakes, process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Heat the butter or coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add about 1/4 cup of batter. Cook the pancake until the top is covered with bubbles. Flip and cook until golden on the other side. Add a little more butter or oil before cooking the next pancake.

Serve hot with blueberry compote and sliced almonds.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Patriotic Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis and Blueberries

July 2, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

Have you ever had panna cotta? It’s a really simple Italian dessert and its name means “cooked cream”. It comes out kind of like a cross between a flan and a vanilla pudding (read: delicious).

The first panna cottas I made were delicious, but a total fail aesthetically–there wasn’t enough gelatin to unmold them in a shapely manner, and the fruit curds I layered in weren’t helping at all. But, this version is just as delicious and much nicer to look at.

Here I’ve paired panna cotta with a delicious raspberry coulis and some fresh blueberries for a special Fourth of July treat. Panna cotta is also delicious on its own, or with chocolate sauce. There are lots of other flavors of panna cotta that I’m dying to make (well, mainly mocha!) but that’s all for another day.

For now, impress your friends with this elegant and easy Independence Day dessert!

Ingredients for the panna cotta (makes 4-6 servings; adapted from David Lebovitz):

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup 2 % milk (or use all cream)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
3 tablespoons cold water
1 packet plain gelatin
Butter for greasing ramekins

Ingredients for the raspberry coulis (makes about 1 cup):

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon kirsch or framboise liqueur
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
1 tablespoon cold water (optional)

For serving:

2 cups fresh blueberries

Place the cream, milk, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean, and drop the pod in, too. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is hot but not boiling. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the mixture infuse for half an hour.

Lightly grease individual ramekins with a little butter if you’re planning to unmold your panna cotta to serve (this is not necessary if you plan to serve it still in the cups). If your molds hold half a cup, you will need four of them. If they’re smaller, you might be able to fill 5 or 6.

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water. Let it sit for about five minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the vanilla pod and heat the cream back up until hot. Pour the mixture (through a sieve if desired) into the bowl with the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Divide the mixture among your molds and refrigerate, covered, for at least two hours before serving. Panna cotta will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

To unmold, dip the bottom of each ramekin in hot water for ten seconds, run a thin knife around the edge, then invert onto a plate.

To make the raspberry coulis, place the raspberries, sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Strain the mixture, discarding the solids, and stir in the liqueur and vanilla. If you would like a thicker coulis, mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Return the raspberry mixture to the saucepan, add the cornstarch paste, and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Cook and stir for one more minute, then remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature before serving with panna cotta. Store coulis in the refrigerator for up to one week or until ready to use.

To serve, invert the panna cotta onto a plate, surround with coulis, and sprinkle with fresh blueberries.